Felice Belman

Editor

Felice Belman is editor of the Concord Monitor, where she has worked, off and on, for more than 20 years as an editor and, before that, a state politics reporter. Among her brief forays elsewhere, she also spent two years as Maryland politics editor at the Washington Post. Belman is the co-editor, with Mike Pride, of The New Hampshire Century, a collection of profiles of 100 notable state figures from the 20th century. She twice served as a juror for the Pulitzer Prizes. Belman graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio in 1988.

[NH 0201] - Part 1: Introduction & Contribution (8:40)

Felice Belman, editor, The Concord Monitor, says her newspaper prides itself as being a forum where members of the community “can hash things out.” The Monitor also uses a Board of [Community] Contributors to ensure that community voices appear on its opinion pages.

[NH 0202] - Part 2: Ethics & Content (8:30)

Felice Belman, editor, The Concord Monitor, says her newsroom is so small that “we can make sure that everyone [ethically] is on the same page.” The newspaper also opens its online forums to anonymous community voices, as long as they “conduct themselves” as though they are “guests at a dinner party.”

[NH 0203] - Part 3: Strategic Changes (9:31)

Felice Belman, editor, The Concord Monitor, says her newsroom reporting staff has been cut about a third, and she has been forced to prioritize her newspaper’s coverage to keep its quality high. The newspaper has also dropped seven Washington Post news service columnists and is replacing them with more local voices.

[NH 0204] - Part 4: Adaptation & the Future (4:46)

Felice Belman, editor, The Concord Monitor, says she believes that news reports “sent to” the newspaper’s readers on their phones might be a good service for The Monitor to develop. Because of current staffing, Monitor reporters also need to be flexible and to be able set aside more long-term projects, temporarily, when the call comes to follow breaking news.

[NH 0205] - Part 5: Prospects and Preparation (3:33)

Felice Belman, editor, The Concord Monitor, says her newspaper likes job candidates who are “quick on deadline” and give “scrupulous attention to details.” She also says “jerks” should not apply; there’s no room for them in a small newsroom.